
the things that make me most happy are most basic:
eating, sleeping, shitting, fucking, and
washing (shower is cool enough but bath – when it’s available – even better). if i can spend the rest of my life doing just these simple things i think i will be a very happy man. simple.
wait.
that sounds self-centred, doesn’t it? shouldn’t
loving make me happy? after all these basic things are elevated to a higher plane if you share it with somebody you have tender feelings for. ok, maybe not shitting. guess i’m not that kinky.
putting loving into the mix might make me less self-centred but does not make me less selfish. so let’s put
working to make me relevant. after all, many observe that i spend a disproportionate amount of time doing my non-profit, change-the-world work. more time than all the basic things that make me happy plus time i spend with my loved ones put together. the truth is,
i have observed that nothing defines my self-esteem, my sense of self-worth, more than how well (or how bad) i do at work.
however, it is also at work that i feel most stressed. so i escape in
watching movies and
shopping. these two are my favourite sanctuaries from the ugliness in the world. there is no pain of having to deal with the wrongs inside and outside the workspace that a good old-fashioned hollywood popcorn film, a new pair of italian leather shoes or designer bags cannot put to right.
and then there are the absolute luxuries like
reading, writing, dancing and
singing. things that i love doing but hardly have the time for.
wait there’s also
smoking, drinking, exercising, talking…
godddamit.
i started writing this post wanting to make a point how simple the path to happiness can be. i thought simplifying will make it easier.
still, a simple listing shows the near impossibility of doing everything within the finite time we all have to do it in. and that’s not even citing the innate conflict between these things. smoking vs. exercising, shopping vs. the non-profit work, sleeping vs. fucking, the list goes on and becomes more incriminating.
clearly, the happy me is a work in progress.
it’s that simple.
***
illustration in this post from
xkcd: a webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math and language.